The captain of the German international soccer team has said that gay professional soccer players should not come out because the repercussions could be too devastating.
In his autobiography, The Subtle Difference, Philipp Lahm writes, “I would not advise any gay professional footballer to come out. I would fear that he could end up like Justin Fashanu who, after he outed himself, was driven into such a corner that he ended up committing suicide.”
Fashanu, a British soccer star, was the first professional soccer player to come out. But he suffered bullying and abuse and killed himself in 1998.
Lahm, 27, who plays for German team Bayern Munich, said however, that he personally would have no problems if a player decided to come out. “I have nothing against homosexuals and I do not consider homosexuality as something reprehensible,” he said.
In the book Lahm counters rumors about him having a male companion in Cologne writing, “First, I am not a homosexual. I am not married to my wife Claudia for appearances and I do not have a friend in Cologne with whom I really live.” He continued, “This speculation doesn’t matter to me. I have nothing against homosexuals and I find that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality.”
